Green roofing, a healthy and money-saving solution
Convenient, aesthetic, environmentally friendly, and money saving, a green roof is the ideal solution for your property. It offers numerous advantages for the house as well as for the environment, besides being durable and health friendly.
The vegetation developed on the roof offers a unique way of insulating by imposing thermal mass, which reduces energy expenditure and makes your bills drop! The green roof also limits streaming by absorbing most of the rainwater and purifying it by retaining the pollutants. Furthermore, it provides plants that use the sun’s heat for photosynthesis, rather than reflecting this heat in the atmosphere as a typical roof would do. Another advantage of green roofing is the durability, as the vegetation protects the roof’s membrane from the ultraviolet rays and thereby prevents its deterioration.
Before creating green space on the roof, some preliminary work is essential to avoid damaging your original roof. Firstly, it is important to ensure that this roof is in good condition and strong enough to bear the weight of the vegetation. The roof has to be waterproof, not damaged, and must not have seepage or any cracks. If any of these issues are present, the roof must be repaired by a professional. The pipes must not be blocked.
The first step then is to fit a waterproof layer and a root barrier, which are essential to keep the roof underneath in good condition. The drainage capacity of the layer has to be appropriate according to the expected intensity of rain.
Regarding the soil, it should have a depth of at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) so as not to make the plants work too much. Next, install the irrigation system; drip irrigation is the most efficient for a green roof as it uses little water and easily supplies fertilizer. You have a wide range of plants you can choose from. However, you must choose them according to the climate of the area. Moreover, they have to withstand wind and storms, besides not being too tall or heavy. The height and weight requirements prevent the green roof from damaging the roof as a result of pressure from wind.
Once your green roof is ready with the first plants getting started, green life will progressively appear and constitute a real benefit for the environment as well as aesthetic beauty. Indeed, what is more charming than a natural roof that fits with the landscape or brings a countryside touch among all the concrete?